Automotive

The self-driving car industry is growing exponentially. It's time to say that riding in a motor vehicle without a driver has become possible.

2019 marked the end of a 10-year growth streak for the automotive industry. The recent decline in production capacity was caused by a PRC / USA trade war that deepened the economic downturn in China.

The logistics sector is developing rapidly and, as a result, new supply chain management concepts are constantly emerging.

The AsstrA corporate group continues to optimize its operations and improve the services it provides in the USA. In June of this year, AsstrA NY Inc. has provided United States Customs with warranties for a Carrier 3 (C3) Bond.

The coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted numerous industries and businesses, with the tourism, hotel, and restaurant sectors particularly hard hit.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting border closures, global markets have been dramatically transformed. Logistics services, however, continues to play an integral role in keeping the global economy running.

For the AsstrA corporate group, the beginning of the year was marked by a remarkable event – a victory in a tender organized by a leading global automobile manufacturer. The route to be serviced runs from the United States to Russia. The customer’s requirements for the transport company included knowledge of the logistics in the region, high-quality services, below-market rates, and a warehouse near the manufacturing plant.

The global pandemic highlighted the need for smooth supply chain operations. The measures introduced by governments to limit the spread of the virus have affected all aspects of life, including logistics networks. Mykolas Tokarenko, Head of AsstrA’s Baltics & Belarus Container Division, discusses how the coronavirus and quarantine have changed the maritime transport market.

The world experienced the spring of 2020 in self-isolation mode. Governments of numerous countries around the world imposed quarantines, and many people have been forced to stay at home and be content to go out only to walk pets or shop for food.

May has marked a turning point in the easing of quarantine measures and restrictions. After a strict quarantine, Western Europe is gradually returning to the usual rhythm of life. The first countries to return have been the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

What plays a decisive role in a client’s choice to partner with a product manufacturer or service provider? According to a Nielsen study, environmental concerns are important to 85% of global consumers. 84% of participants said that a company’s transparency and honesty are key factors.

Mankind has been building with concrete for 4,000 years, since the age of Mesopotamia. The material gained popularity in ancient Rome. To this day, the dome of the Pantheon remains the largest structure in the world made of unreinforced concrete.

Air cargo transportation is associated with speed, safety, and delivery deadlines of "yesterday." Goods shipped by air usually have high costs but relatively small dimensions. However, there are exceptions.

According to the World Shipping Council, the majority of global cargo is delivered in containers or – in logistics terminology – TEUs. About 90% of world trade is carried out by sea. After the cargo has arrived in port, onward delivery is made to its final destination, which is rarely in the port itself. In such cases, intermodal shipments are made from the shipper's door to the recipient's door. Recently, the growing popularity of intermodality has been an increasingly useful development tool for European transport policy.

Airplanes remain a popular choice for transporting cargo thanks to fast delivery times, broad geographical reach, and minimal damage or fraud risks. The International Air Transport Association has predicted that the air transport sector will resume growing in 2020, and airlines are also expected to improve their overall profitability.

In September of this year, the AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG group of companies opened its first office in France. The city of Lyon was chosen for the location of the transport and logistics provider office in the region.

At the Brussels summit at the beginning of April this year, EU and UK leaders agreed that the Brexit date would be moved from March 30 to October 31 2019. Nevertheless, recent events do not inspire optimism. A Hard Brexit looks increasingly likely. This means, among other things, that a customs border will be created between the European Union and the British Isles with many consequences for the TSL industry. Are Polish carriers ready for a hard landing?

According to local media, the Romanian automotive industry’s turnover increased by 20% in 2018 compared to the previous year.

Container transport by rail is the most dynamically developing branch of logistics. The railroad linking the Far East and Europe and comprising part of the New Silk Road is an alternative to sea and air transport from China and is reshaping the nature of import and export. Currently, rail has completely replaced air and sea as the preferred transport mode from the Far East to Europe.

For more than 10 years, AsstrA Heavy Lift specialists have provided comprehensive services involving the transport and logistics of oversized and heavy loads. A Client from the wood industry relied on AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG’s holistic services to help transport woodworking lines from Luxembourg to Ukraine. The AsstrA Heavy Lift Department coordinated the entire project. The delivery process took three months. During this time, 450 loads were shipped. The total weight of all loads amounted to nearly 8,000 tons.

The AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG corporate group sums up its results for the first half of 2019. The corporate group’s turnover for the first 6 months of 2019 amounted to 160 million euros, which is 23% more than in the same period of 2018. From January to June, the company's specialists processed 76,500 orders. The weight of transported goods increased by 44% compared to the first half of 2018 and amounted to 1.9 million tons. During this period AsstrA brought 1,492 new clients onboard.

On May 30-31, the 24th BAMAP expo-forum took place in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk. The organizer, the Association of International Road Carriers, traditionally combines its General Meeting of Association members with this transport equipment and spare parts event.

In 2018, the AsstrA Automotive Logistics Division executed more than 1,600 shipments of cars and agricultural machinery as well as tires and other automotive spare parts.

A 20-meter Moscow metro wagon. A 6-ton passenger plane engine. A 1,000-part city tram. All these vehicles’ components must go a long way before they can function together as a whole. Sometimes production starts with one piece in Japan and ends with final assembly in Austria.

Defining waste is easy. According to the Polish legal Act of 14 December 2012, waste is any substance or object whose holder is or will be disposing of it or has the obligation to do so. Removing waste, however, is not so easy.

Today’s automotive industry is actively developing. Production levels, import and export volumes, and distribution network sizes are all growing and driving a corresponding demand for transport and logistics services.

For more than 20 years, international transport and logistics provider AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG has been serving the entire automotive industry with a full range of logistics and transportation offerings.

Company rankings: to participate or not to participate? Many entrepreneurs ask this question every day. Some do not believe in disclosing company data to the public and some – like those at AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG – very much do!

We talked with experts from the international transport and logistics group AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG about the carriers selection process.

"Delays at the European Union border, road inspections, bureaucracy – these complications are a regular part of transporting cargo from Poland to its east. Such factors have a negative impact on the predictability of the supply chain and the punctuality of cargo delivery. The driver needs a responsible and competent guide who will help him navigate all these challenges. And that’s what we do best," emphasizes Poland Country Manager Mariusz Borkowski.

In 2017, AsstrA completed 3,677 car shipments. This amount exceeds results from 2016 by 37%.

This year the international logistics provider AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG welcomes the guests of the exhibition at its own stand E245 in the Hall of the 3rd International Exhibition Center «Crocus Expo»